"Speaks Korean" Is Not a Qualification. "Passed Verification" Is.
Every contractor has to pass a 4-step verification process: license, insurance, customer references, and ongoing review. If they don’t pass, we don’t match them. That’s how we keep Korean homeowners safe.
- All 4 steps must be passed before we match you
- We verify license and insurance certificates ourselves
- We contact customer references directly
Why We Verify This Thoroughly
In the Korean community, “speaks Korean” often gets treated as “trustworthy.” That’s a risky assumption. Speaking Korean is just a language skill. It doesn’t tell you if that contractor:
My background is what qualifies me to solve this problem:
- Do they hold a valid contractor license in this state?
- Is their insurance active? (Coverage if something goes wrong)
- Were their actual customers satisfied?
- Do they keep up that quality over time?
Every Contractor Has to Pass These 4 Steps
1. License Check. We verify the state contractor license ourselves
- I want to get my home repaired, but I don't know where to start.
- We check the license expiration date (an expired license doesn't count)
- We confirm the license type matches their trade (roofing, HVAC, etc.)
- We check for any license suspensions or revocations
Result: No license or an expired license means an automatic rejection
2. Insurance Check. We verify both certificates ourselves
- General liability insurance. Covers damage to your property during the job
- Workers' compensation insurance. Covers worker injuries (without it, you could be liable)
- We confirm both policies are active and not expired
- We check that coverage limits are adequate
Result: No insurance or expired insurance means an automatic rejection
3. Customer Reference Checks. We call the last 5 customers ourselves
Tony personally calls each reference to confirm:
- That this contractor actually did the work
- Whether they finished on the promised timeline
- The gap between quote and final cost (a big gap is a red flag)
- Whether communication was smooth (especially in Korean)
- How they handled it when problems came up
- Whether they'd hire this contractor again
Result: Negative references, or no references at all, mean rejection
4. Ongoing Verification. Passing once isn't the finish line
- Regular checks that license and insurance haven't lapsed
- Monitoring new customer reviews
- Immediate review if a claim or dispute comes up
- Tracking satisfaction for every new customer matched through our platform
Result: Negative references, or no references at all, mean rejection
Reasons We Reject Contractors (Our Actual Standards)
Any one of these disqualifies a contractor from our network:
- No contractor license, or an expired one
- A history of license suspension or revocation
- No general liability insurance, or an expired policy
- No workers' comp insurance, or an expired policy
- Can't provide 5 customer references
- Negative reference feedback
- Korean-language support that doesn't hold up in practice
- Repeated negative reviews from new customers after passing verification
Let's Be Honest. Here Are Verification's Limits
Verification is a strong safeguard. It’s not a 100% guarantee.
- What we do guarantee
- License and insurance are active at the time of the match
- The contractor passed reference checks with at least 5 customers
- Korean-language support is available
- If a problem comes up, we coordinate between you and the contractor in Korean
- What we can't guarantee
- A perfect outcome on every future job
- Every dispute between a contractor and homeowner (the contract is between the two of you)
- Quality years down the road (we do our best with regular re-verification)
💡 So here’s what we recommend: compare quotes, confirm everything in Korean before you sign a contract, and tell us right away if a problem comes up.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Right now, Tony Jung (our founder) handles every verification personally. That includes checking licenses and insurance and making the reference calls himself.
About half of the contractors who apply pass. The most common reasons for rejection are missing license or insurance and negative references.
Yes. We only use it to make your match, and we only share it with the contractor you’re matched with.
He’s the founder of Korean Home Service. He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Georgia Tech. Learn more
It takes about 2 to 4 weeks on average after a contractor applies. License and insurance paperwork moves fast, but contacting 5 references takes time.
Let us know right away. We’ll coordinate in Korean, and if it becomes a pattern, we remove that contractor from our platform.
No, verification is free. Contractors only pay a matching fee once they’re matched with a real customer.